Pursuits

Joan Sutherland, Superstar Diva, Dies, 83: Manuela Hoelterhoff

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Joan Sutherland, a large-boned, helmet-haired, high-singing Australian soprano with a perfect trill, died at age 83 in Switzerland, her refuge after decades of singing unhinged maidens, enraged priestesses, and happy-go-lucky waifs.

Her passing -- confirmed by her record company, Decca -- empties the world of one of the last divas of an era dominated by grand personalities.